LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party (SP), in an attempt to grab the first-mover's advantage, released a list of 55 candidates from Uttar Pradesh for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The list includes four members of Mulayam Singh Yadav's clan, including the party boss himself.

The SP became the first major party to name its Lok Sabha candidates on Friday, a day after the Congress declared that party general secretary Rahul Gandhi would lead its poll campaign.

The BSP is said to have finalized its list but is yet to make it public, while the BJP is likely to announce the list of its candidates from UP in December. UP holds the fortune of the central government with 80 Lok Sabha seats.

By releasing its list of election candidates on the eve of the winter session of Parliament, the Samajwadi Party may be trying to tell the Congress that it cannot be taken for granted and that UPA-2 may not complete its term which ends in 2014. Also, the general thinking in SP is that early elections will suit the party.

If Lok Sabha elections are held on schedule, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav fears that apart from rivals, his party will also have to fight anti-incumbency. Mulayam, who harbours prime ministerial ambitions, has set a target of winning 60 seats in UP so that he can play a key role in the formation of the next government at the Centre.

The SP, which supports the Congress-led UPA government from outside, has not announced candidates for Rae Bareli and Amethi yet and placed strong candidates against friends-turned-foes Beni Prasad Verma and Raj Babbar. Also missing from its list is actor Jayaprada. BJP's Rajnath Singh and RLD's Jayant Chaudhary will not get "walkovers". At least two dons-turned-politicians, too, have got tickets.

Asked whether SP's move was in reaction to Rahul's nomination as in-charge of the Congress coordination committee for the polls, party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said, "we declared our candidates for the 2012 assembly elections almost 18 months in advance. This helps candidates to nurture their constituencies better."

Mulayam will contest from Mainpuri; his daughter-in-law Dimple, who won a byelection unopposed from Kannauj this year, will fight for the same seat. Ram Gopal's son Akshay Yadav will make his political debut from Ferozabad. Besides family members, the SP has given ticket to Neeraj Shekhar, son of former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar, from Ballia. UP speaker Mata Prasad Pandey will contest from Domariaganj.